1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to foundation construction for buildings and more particularly to a combination and arrangement of foundation material to facilitate drainage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Regarding the problem of drainage around the foundation of a structure, it is conventional practice to provide a drain tile buried in the ground surrounding the exterior and adjacent the footing of the structure. Such drain tile is provided with holes or spaces so that water that seeps to the foundation accumulates in the drain tile which is sloped to an exit and thereafter channeled to a storm sewer, an absorption bed or discharged into the ditch if one is available in the proximate vicinity of the building structure. The conventional building foundation generally includes a concrete footing formed in the general shape of a rectangle laid on excavated ground below the frost line for that locale. On the footing are laid courses of concrete building blocks up to ground level or thereabove. These courses form the foundation wall of the structure. My invention is directed to the problem of water accumulation around the footing and the lower part of the foundation wall which the prior art drainage system is not effective in channeling away. This frequently results in the water seeping through the blocks of the foundation and under the footing and accumulating on the inside of the building basement floor necessitating the instalation of a sump pump provided in a well constructed as part of the foundation floor, where the unwanted water is accumulated and from which it may be pumped and externally discharged. This condition occurs when there is an excessive amount of water due to greater amount of rainfall than normal or greater amount of snowfall and thereafter rapid melting so that the exterior drainpipe is incapable of carrying the excess water away allowing the water to seep through the foundation or under the footing and become entrapped within the perimeter of the foundation enclosure.
Though, I am aware of building blocks containing holes for allowing drainage of water therethrough such prior art blocks have not been successful because consideration was not given to the method used in laying the blocks during construction. In laying such blocks, workmen in applying the mortar to the edges of the blocks, drop large amounts of mortar inside the hollow spaces within the blocks accidentally blocking the drain holes. This is generally unavoidable since workmen are generally under pressure to lay as many blocks as possible and their primary objective is providing a good mortar bond between the blocks as rapidly as possible. Obviously, having the additional concern of not allowing accidental dropping of mortar which may block the drain holes provided in the blocks, detract from their prime objective mentioned above. Providing an excess number of drain holes to compensate for the accidental blockage of a few holes would weaken the blocks. Provided a minimum of drain holes which would accomplish proper drainage and not weaken the blocks would not accomplish the proper drainage if a number of the drain holes were accidentally blocked by falling of the excess mortar.